TMZ Sports - Page 50

"I think we know how it would turn out, to be honest."

That's LaMelo Ball trying REALLY hard not to piss off his father or his new boss Friday when asked who would win in 1-on-1 ... LaVar Ball or Michael Jordan!?!?!

The answer is obvious to most people ... but LaVar has been talking A TON of trash for years about how he would crush MJ if they ever squared up on the court.

And, now that Melo was drafted by MJ's Charlotte Hornets this week -- reporters asked the 19-year-old Friday straight-up ... who ya got?!

"I don’t think it's gonna happen," Melo said at first ... before adding, "And then, I think we know how it would turn out, to be honest."

Melo then explained his dilemma ... "I mean it is my pops and my boss ... so I’m on both sides now."

TRANSLATION -- MJ WOULD BEAT THAT ASS AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT!!

Look, LaVar has been making the "I'd destroy MJ" claims for years -- saying Jordan is simply "too little" to compete with him.

MJ famously fired back -- saying, "I don't think he could beat me if I was one-legged."

LaVar then told TMZ Sports, "I could beat him with 1 hand tied behind my back with some glasses on with one eye lens out with some flips flops on in the rain."

Think COVID could stop Russell Westbrook from helping out some families in need during the holiday? HELL NO!!

The NBA superstar grabbed some masks, gloves and sanitizer and hit the streets of L.A. on Thursday for his annual Thanksgiving dinner giveaway ... with some minor adjustments to keep everyone safe!

Westbrook's Why Not? Foundation teamed up with the L.A. Regional Food Bank and others to host a drive-thru event at Jesse Owens Park ... where all volunteers were decked out in PPE to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

It's the 9th year of Westbrook's food event -- but due to the pandemic, he had to make some changes this time around -- a challenge he happily met.

"This year is a little different with COVID and everything going on in our society," Russell said ... "But I'm thankful to be here to be able to give back to so many families."

He later added on Twitter, "Things are challenging right now & people are struggling. This is why it is more important than ever for me to support my community any way I can while keeping everyone safe."

Lonzo Ball is stepping up as big brother to help LaMelo get his beloved jersey number ... hitting up Malik Monk and asking if he's down to swap digits!!

Of course, #1 has ALWAYS been Melo's number -- from high school to Lithuania to Australia -- and the dude even has a massive tattoo to prove his loyalty to numero uno.

But, the youngest Ball Bro hit a snag after getting drafted by the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday ... 'cause Monk currently has ownership over #1.

Melo was introduced to the Hornets with a #2 jersey on Friday ... and Zo, who also wears #2 on the Pelicans, immediately went to work on getting lil bro his #1.

"Ayo @AhmadMonk what’s good?! You know you want 5!! 🤣 ", Lonzo tweeted at Melo's teammate.

The question is, is Zo doing this out of brotherly love ... or does he REALLY not want baby bro to have the same number as him??

Most likely the latter ... but either way, Monk would have to pick something other than #5 -- that currently belongs to Nicolas Batum.

The Tampa Bay Raptors? For now, yes.

The Toronto Raptors announced Friday they will begin the 2020-21 NBA season playing their home games in Tampa ... hours after the Canadian government reportedly ruled they could not host home games up north.

The long story short ... due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian government didn't want teams flying in from the U.S. and possibly spreading the virus.

The U.S. is still considered a coronavirus hotbed -- with more than 11.8 million cases compared to just 315k in Canada.

Raptors president Masai Ujiri says the team had "productive" conversations with govt. officials in the hopes of keeping the team in Canada -- but with the season set to kick off on Dec. 22, Toronto decided it was better to start the season in Tampa and figure things out from there.

"Ultimately, the current public health situation facing Canadians, combined with the urgent need to determine where we will play means that we will begin our 2020-21 season in Tampa, Florida," Ujiri said.

Ujiri says the team is committed to planning a safe return to Toronto -- "and as an organization, we remain committed to doing all we can to promote and demonstrate public health measures to help combat the spread of COVID-19 in Canada."

"So we'll be away from our home and our fans for now. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. I'm not sure that's possible for us -- we love Toronto and Canada, and we know we have the best fans in the NBA."

BEND THE KNEE!!!!

UFC superstar Henry Cejudo just can't lose -- he's got a brand new lady friend ... and good lord.

We're told her name is Ana -- she's a model from Brazil, and the two are newly dating.

Check them out on a stroll through Tulum, Mexico recently ... showing off their impressive physiques.

Cejudo definitely has a type -- just last year, he was spotted on the beach with another beautiful Brazilian lady ... a soap opera actress named Sandra.

The UFC star moved on after that and began dating Amanda Dallago Chaves -- and things got pretty serious.

But, the two reportedly broke up back in September after realizing it just wasn't meant to be.

Now, 33-year-old Cejudo is back on the horse ... and by the looks of things, he's pretty happy to be dating again!

Cejudo announced his retirement from MMA after his May 9 victory over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 ... though he's suggested he would come back and fight again for the right price.

In the meantime, it looks like Henry is staying in shape ... and staying busy.

WELCOME TO FART COURT -- where allegations of flatulence are taken seriously and investigated accordingly.

Today's suspect ... Ronnie O'Sullivan, a star snooker player from England, who appeared to rip a humungous fart during competition this week but tried to blame it on the judge.

The evidence ... Ronnie -- aka "The Rocket" -- was participating in the Northern Ireland Open on Wednesday, competing against Matthew Stevens when someone tore ass.

The arena was basically empty due to COVID -- so the only people in the room were the players and officials.

In other words, you could hear a pin drop ... or in this case, a buttcheek ripple.

The poot was so loud, everyone took notice -- including the announcers who immediately cracked jokes and began to suggest Ronnie was the flatulator.

But, Ronnie didn't take the blame initially -- instead, looking at an official and asking, "Was that you?!"

J'ACCUSE!!!

But, the denial didn't last long, Ronnie eventually copped to the anal honk ... saying after the match, "I dropped my guts -- I am taking full ownership of that. I have had stomach problems for a couple of months."

He continued, "I did say 'Was that you' to the referee but, I am proud of that one."

Tournament officials were also asked about the incident -- and confirmed O'Sullivan as the master blaster.

So, there you have it ... Ronnie -- GUILTY AS CHARGED!!

You win Rookie of the Year, you get the giraffe -- or should we say, Ja Raffe!! -- 'cause Grizzlies star Ja Morant officially has a baby giraffe named after him at the Memphis Zoo!!

And, we must say ... it's JA-mazing!!

The zoo announced its newest addition to the fam on Thursday ... saying it welcomed a baby boy on Nov. 10.

Fresh off Ja's JA-dropping rookie campaign -- he averaged nearly 18 points and 7 assists a game for Memphis -- the place decided to JAnor the 21-year-old with the long-necked namesake.

"We have some new hooves on the African Veldt. His name is Ja Raffe to celebrate @memgrizz’s @JaMorant winning @NBA Rookie of the year," the zoo said on Twitter ... revealing the cute baby giraffe in a video.

Ja hasn't spoken about the big token of JA-ppreciation from the zoo just yet ... but we're sure he's JA-st thrilled.

We take it they're saving the bear naming for when Ja wins MVP??

The president of the Haiti Football Association has been BANNED FOR LIFE by FIFA -- after the soccer org. found him guilty of sexually abusing female players, including minors.

FIFA issued a statement saying 73-year-old Yves Jean-Bart is forbidden from participating in all soccer-related activities -- plus, they've hit him with over a $1 million fine.

In a statement Friday, FIFA said Jean-Bart "abused his position and sexually harassed and abused various female players, including minors, in violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics."

FIFA says it had launched an investigation into Jean-Bart and other officials in the Haiti Football Association over allegations of "systematic sexual abuse against female football players between 2014 and 2020."

The allegations have been reported this way ... female soccer players in Haiti felt pressured into having sex with Jean-Bart in order to remain in good standing with the Haiti Football Association.

Several players have spoken up about the alleged abuse to various media outlets -- detailing an allegedly horrific situation.

For his part, Jean-Bart has repeatedly DENIED the allegations -- saying back in April, "I would not encourage such practices in Haitian football, much less in the centre which is under my responsibility."

"If there were such cases, I would encourage the victims to file a complaint with the federation and the judicial authorities of the country. We are ready, at the level of the federation, to support them."

There's more ... Jean-Bart was also reportedly "cleared of any wrongdoing" earlier this week during legal proceedings in Haiti.

Bart Scott is calling Nick Foles out for the QB's reaction to his injury on "Monday Night Football" this week ... the ex-NFL linebacker went IN on the Bears star for "crying" over a bruise.

"You know who Nick Foles is?" Scott asked on ESPN's "Keyshawn JWill & Zubin show" this week. "He's the dude screaming, 'I'm drowning! I'm drowning!'"

"And, somebody says, 'Hey, stand up!' And he says, 'Oh, all I had to do was stand up?'"

Scott was straight-up pissed over it all ... believing Foles overreacted when he needed a cart to leave the field after he hurt his hip in the final moments of the Bears' loss to the Vikings.

Scott's biggest issue? He believes Foles made it seem like he was dealing with a break or a tear as opposed to a bruise.

"Oh, we supposed to have empathy?" said Scott, who played in the NFL for 11 years. "He was crying! There's no crying in football! And, if there's crying, something better be broken! Need to be amputated!"

Scott continued, "He is crying and he got a bone bruise! Drew Brees is talking to [Sean] Payton on the sideline and he got four cracked ribs and a puncture! And, he's talking! And, [Foles] is crying for a hip bruise!? What are we talking about!?"

Scott went even further ... adding, "You hearing everybody, 'Prayers up to Nick Foles.' A bruise?! Man if you don't take some Advil and put some ice and put a girdle on with a hip pad in it, man, get the hell out of here."

For his part, Scott's co-host on the show, ex-NFL star Keyshawn Johnson, tried to defend Nick ... saying the QB was likely just scared given all of the significant injuries that have plagued his career in the past.

But, Scott was having none of it ... calling the injury "a boo-boo" and saying, "He built real different."

University of Miami head football coach Manny Diaz says he's been diagnosed with COVID -- the latest in a wave of positive tests to hit the team.

"I have tested positive for COVID-19," the 46-year-old said Friday morning.

"I am currently in isolation and feeling good overall. I will continue to work with our team virtually as we prepare for our next game at Wake Forest."

The Hurricanes have been hit hard by COVID -- starting back in October when 8 players weren't available for the Oct. 24 game against Virginia.

Leaving 11 players unavailable for the Nov. 6 game against North Carolina State -- and then it grew again to 13 this past weekend against Virginia Tech.

On Monday, University of Miami officials announced a 2-week stoppage -- meaning the team would resume its season on Dec. 5, against Wake Forest.

But, WF has its own COVID problems which led to the school canceling this weekend's game against Duke.

What's the first thing you'd go out and buy if you were the #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft????

That's something Greg Oden knows about -- he was top pick in 2007 -- and admits he blew his first paycheck on a really bad purchase!!

Now, Oden -- who's an athlete advisor for a financial company -- is telling TMZ Sports his story in hopes of helping players in the 2020 NBA Draft class avoid making the same mistakes!

TMZ Sports: "What advice would you give to these guys who are instantly becoming millionaires?"

Greg Oden: "I will say you are instantly in debt right now!"

What Greg means is players don't realize they already have a long list of people they have to pay -- from trainers to agents, rent, car bills and -- most importantly -- taxes ... and he says that can all lead to serious financial trouble for guys who aren't responsible from the get-go.

"What everybody thinks you make is definitely not what you're actually going to make," Oden says.

So, Greg's advice? "Get experts in your corner. Get people that you trust."

Oden says financial advisors, lawyers and CPAs are all great investments that can help players avoid the perils of future money problems.

And, Greg -- who's job at Edyoucore is specifically to help people in the sports and entertainment realm with their cash -- says he's down to assist some of these dudes!

"I wasn't able to do it on the court," Oden says, "but, right now, all the knowledge, all my experiences that I've been through, I'm definitely here to help out a lot of these guys."

By the way, Oden's also doing some other really cool stuff in retirement ... he's participating in a charity event with his wife this weekend to help needy families have a wonderful holiday meal.

Oh, and Greg tells us he's even been getting in a little basketball training too!

Dana White is doubling down on his claim Khabib Nurmagomedov will return to the Octagon -- and he's willing to put his money where his mouth is!

"If I had to make a bet -- and I'm a betting man -- I would bet he does [return]," Dana tells TMZ Sports.

"So, yeah ... I think he will."

Of course, Khabib announced his retirement following his Oct. 24 victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 ... explaining he has no desire to fight anymore after the death of his father earlier this year.

But, Dana says Khabib's father is the reason he WILL return -- explaining it was his dad's dream for Khabib to finish with a 30-0 record.

So, who would be the opponent? Dana says he's NOT considering Georges St-Pierre, despite Khabib previously suggesting that's he'd be open to that opportunity.

Instead, Dana pointed to 2 upcoming fights ... Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler vs. Tony Ferguson.

"We'll see how all these things play out here ... One of those guys would definitely be in for the fight."

There's more ... we also asked Dana about plans for Jon Jones, who appears to be bulking up for a fight at the heavyweight level.

But, White says there's nothing in the plans for a Jon Jones scrap in the near future.

"Jon Jones, I don’t know what Jon Jones is doing," White says.

"When he’s ready, all he's gotta do is let us know … but we have no inclination whatsoever that this guy is coming to fight."

Before this smiley sweetie was feeling the weight of multiple Olympic medals around her neck, she was just another blondie with bangs growing up in Des Moines, Iowa.

Making her Summer Olympic Games debut in Beijing, she was part of the duo of athletes who scored the top two medals -- both the gold and silver -- in the individual all-around portion of the Women's Gymnastics competition. She took home 4 medals total, but only one gold for her skills displayed on the balance beam.

Now, the mother of one daughter, she lives in Nashville with her husband.

Nobody likes to get that dreadful break-up text ... but Chris Bosh says that’s EXACTLY how he found out LeBron James was leaving the Miami Heat in 2014 ... admitting he was initially pissed about the move.

The 2-time champ made the big reveal to Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on the "All The Smoke" podcast Thursday ... when he was asked how King James broke the news he was returning to Cleveland.

"Through a text," Bosh said, laughing. "I thought he was BSing, and then about 10 minutes later it's everywhere."

"At the time, I didn't understand it."

"At the time, in my mind, I was ready to put the team together because we had just lost," Bosh added. "So we wanted to put something together so we could win. And it really didn't go like that."

The 11-time All-Star said it took months to get over James' departure ... but added, "It still worked out for everybody." After all, the Big 3 did win back to back championships in 2012 and 2013.

Of course, LeBron went on to bring Cleveland its first NBA title ... breaking the 52-year title drought in the city.

"He starts beating on my car, beating on my windows right at my dogs."

That's Patrick Mahomes' fiancee, Brittany Matthews, detailing an incident Thursday with a "homeless person" in Kansas City ... saying she was so scared, she ran a red light to escape possible danger.

"Guys, I can't even talk about this because I just got so scared out of my mind," Matthews said in a video after the incident.

"Ya know, with homeless people around Kansas City, there's quite a few of them and I always try to give them the benefit of the doubt and be nice to them and wave at them and smile and give stuff if I have it -- but like today, this guy really just messed things up."

Matthews -- who's pregnant -- says she was driving through the plaza with her windows open when a man approached her car.

"He kept coming ... and kept coming ... and so finally he was saying something and I was like 'No thank you.' So, I was like rolling all the windows up and right as I rolled 'em all up he starts beating on my car, beating on my windows right at my dogs and the dogs going ballistic."

"So, I just sped off and ran the red light! I didn't even look to see if anyone was coming or anything but you know what, I made it home and that was scary."

Glad no one was hurt -- but the incident puts a spotlight on a larger issue in K.C. ... homeless shelters and resource centers are struggling to keep up with the need for shelter and aid since the pandemic began.

Former MLB prospect Brandon Martin will spend the rest of his life in a prison cell ... after a judge sentenced him to life without parole for brutally murdering 3 people, including his own father.

27-year-old Martin -- a 1st-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011 -- was convicted of the triple murder earlier this month ... and was facing the death penalty.

Martin was in a Riverside County, CA courtroom on Thursday ... where the same jury that convicted him in only 4 hours decided his punishment.

The jurors spared his life -- electing not to give him the death penalty. Instead, Martin will spend the rest of his life in prison.

The story surrounding the September 2015 murders is disturbing, to say the least.

Martin brutally beat and killed his 64-year-old dad, 58-year-old uncle, and a 62-year-old man the family had hired to install an alarm to protect them from Martin. Officials say Martin used a black baseball bat (with his name inscribed on it) to kill the men.